25 Cheers for 25 Years: Michael Robertson sends Gators to Omaha

Florida Gators out field Michael Robertson (11) during the College D1 Baseball Super Regional game between the Florida Gators and the Clemson Tigers on June 9, 2024 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

In a season defined by resilience, the Florida Gators baseball team found itself on the edge of glory in the 2023 NCAA Super Regional.

Facing the No. 6 national seed Clemson Tigers on their home diamond in South Carolina, Florida had already pushed the favored Tigers to extra innings in Game 2 of the best-of-three series​.

The Gators carried a three-run lead into the ninth inning before Clemson rallied to extend the game, setting the stage for an instant classic finish.

In a 13 inning thriller, an unlikely hero would step up and deliver a special moment for Gators everywhere.

Florida’s road to this Super Regional had been improbable. Just weeks earlier, the Gators were fighting to qualify for the NCAA Tournament at all.

They limped into postseason play with a sub-.500 conference record (13–17 SEC) and earned only a No. 3 regional seed at the Stillwater Regional with a 28–27 record.

Despite the regular season struggles, the team made its way through that regional, even emerging from the losers’ bracket to upset host Oklahoma State.

By the time they arrived in Clemson, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad was battle-tested and ready.

“I think us going through those struggles and having every game matter the last two or three weeks of the year probably helped toughen us up a little bit,” O’Sullivan said of his team’s late-season mindset​.

Those hard knocks paid off in the Super Regional. Florida won a wild first game 10-7, and in Game 2 the Gators jumped ahead of Clemson early.

Up three runs in the top of the 9th, Clemson refused to go quietly, tying the game in the ninth. The Gators responded in extras.

Florida’s bullpen delivered clutch pitching to keep the Gators in it as the matchup passed five hours of gametime.

In the bottom of the 13th inning, with the score tied at 10 and the bases loaded, sophomore center fielder Michael Robertson stepped to the plate.

Robertson, a defensive standout known more for speed than slugging, seized the moment.

He turned on a pitch and ripped a line drive into left field that sailed over the outfielder’s head.

Bedlam erupted at Doug Kingsmore Stadium as the winning run raced home. Florida had taken down Clemson 11–10, completing a stunning sweep and punching its ticket to Omaha.

As his teammates mobbed him, Robertson tried to sum up what the moment meant.

“I was just looking for something in the zone,” he said of his approach in the 13th. “I was able to put a good swing on it, and I thought I got enough barrel through to find the gap, but obviously none of that happens without the guys in front of me”​.

The humble hero was quick to credit the teammates who set the table and the relievers who kept Florida alive inning after inning. For a player who had batted only .256 with two homers on the year, this swing was the ultimate redemption.

The walk-off victory sent Florida to its 14th College World Series appearance​, one year after finishing as national runner-up. O’Sullivan, coaching against the program where he once served as an assistant, marveled at his club’s perseverance and the electric environment.

“I’m proud of my players,” O’Sullivan said. “The atmosphere this weekend was incredible… We’re fortunate to move on.”

What began as a rough season for the Gators now had a shot at college baseball’s ultimate prize.

Robertson’s clutch hit not only sent Florida to Omaha, it gave the team a much needed redemption story after being ridiculed for most of the year. Robertson might not go down as a Gator legend but his walkoff against Clemson is one of the best moments in modern Florida baseball history.